Presidency Replies Peter Obi Over Claim Of Collapsed Democracy In Nigeria
By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
The Presidency has knocked the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi over his claim that democracy has collapsed in Nigeria.
Mr. Obi, while speaking at the 60th birthday celebration and colloquium in honour of Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and former governor of Imo State, alleged that the nation’s democracy has collapsed under the current administration.
He said, “They started in 1999, they laid the foundation, some people came and took it to a decking, and some people were trying to raise it to the first floor, and some people came and knocked everything down.
“That’s the situation we are in right now. Everything has been knocked down, nothing works. And I’m somebody who can say this exemplary. I became a governor through the courts. When (former) President (Olusegun) Obasanjo and Atiku (Abubakar) were in government, I did not pay the courts, one naira, I was sitting in my house, in an office, and the court declared me winner.
“That cannot happen in Nigeria today. When I was being impeached, the president sent people to come and intervene on my behalf. Ken Nnamani came to beg the House not to impeach me. Today, the president impeaches the person. And they were begging in my house not to impeach me and they were in PDP, I was in APGA.
“They were begging and the president (Obasanjo) was calling me and saying, Peter, are you okay? Even when I was impeached, President Obasanjo called me and said, are you okay? Are you safe?.”
Reacting to Obi’s allegation, Onanuga said, ‘’how can a democracy that has strengthened over the past 26 years be said to have collapsed? Only a discontented and disgruntled Peter, who benefits from the very free speech democracy provides, could perceive such a democratic downfall through his lens.
‘’If democracy had indeed collapsed, as Peter claims, and we were living under a regime antithetical to democratic principles, he would not have been able to make his comments on Monday at Emeka Ihedioha’s colloquium. I will urge him to watch what he says and restrain himself from playing to the gallery.”
